Untitled
by nourmakky
Summary: Songfic. Not really. But read with the recommended song based on the title of the chapter. R&R! ShikaIno canon. Modern AU warning: slight angst for early chapters. Again R&R! *love* sorry for the grammatical error *cries* (on hiatus)
1. Prologue: Sign Of The Times

**A/N: This fanfic is basically a songfic. Well, not really. But you can read this fiction with the song recommended by the title of the chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: Naruto obviously is not mine. If it is, I would match Ino with Shikamaru.**

 **Prologue: Sign of The Times**

"It's okay, Inoichi-san."

The fatigued woman said to her husband palming his cheek with her tired hand, hoping to somehow stop the tears from escaping his eyes again. Of course, it failed. He knew he was going to lose her soon.

Just an hour ago he was celebrating the birth of his daughter and Shikaku with the birth of his son just a few hours ago. His daughter, who he couldn't express more lovable has the same silky blonde hair as him, the same fiery blue-green eyes as him. However, she took her beauty from her mother, his wife. His dying wife.

The doctor told him in the midst of his celebration with the sudden revelation. She was losing a lot of blood. Inoichi is usually a calm man and collected even on his most difficult time and days during a prolonged case.

He broke down in tears right then and there kneeling in front of the doctor and it tugged the heart strings of his best friends and fellow detectives, Shikaku Nara and Choza Akimichi. Feeling overwhelmed by the sadness, they too silently cried with Choza accompanied by his wife. It was supposed to be a happy day for all of them. It was. Until the doctor broke down the news. The doctor, Tsunade bowed, hiding her tears from them. She wished she could've done more. She really did. The man in front of her knelt and begged her to take it back.

He was praying that it was just one of her elaborated prank. Just anything but the honest truth. If she really was, he wouldn't even be mad at her, he just would be really glad that his wife, Kana survive from being one amongst the statistic of maternal death.

"Ino."

"What?" asked Inoichi confused after managing to held back his tears for the nth times. He has decided, while she's still here, with him, he would make use of the time to cherish her more, to talk to her more, to feel her touch more.

"Our daughter... It would be nice to name her Ino," she said as slowly as she could as she could feel her blood streaming out more than before. "With your name being Inoichi and all..."

Inoichi gently played with his wife's hair as their daughter cuddled next to her frail body, tugging her index finger with her small hand.

"Then Ino she will be," Inoichi said with a bittersweet smile to his slowly fading wife. Finally she closed her eyes with a smile almost like an angel.

Inoichi shut his eyes forcing back his tears and kissed his wife's forehead endearingly.

 **TBC**

 **Author: So? What do you guys think? Should I continue? I'm going with ShikaIno if I'm going through with this. R &R with love is very much appreciated! Thanks ;)**


	2. Chapter 1: Wake Me Up When Sept Ends

**A/N: A songfic. Well, not really. But you can read this fiction with the song recommended by the title of the chapter. I did wrote this chapter inspired by the song. Changing the genre from angst to friendship (although this chapter is still angsty). The prologue was short but this chapter ought to do it!**

 **Special shoutout to Nico (NilithDelirium)! Thanks for the review! It makes me happy to received your review! I really hope you enjoyed reading this chapter! Please do tell what you think about it! I would really appreciate it!**

 **Also to G94! Thanks for putting this story on Alert and fav! :3**

 **Disclaimer: Naruto obviously is not mine. If it is, I wouldn't match Shikamaru with Temari. (Urgh) And I don't own the songs. Just the plot.**

 **Chapter 1: Wake Me Up When September Ends (Green Day)**

On the first day of Inoichi reporting back to duty, he took his daughter to the Nara's home. Yoshino, his best friend's wife persisted on taking care of Ino.

However grateful he may be, he had actually refused their offers countless times considering Yoshino too had just given birth herself but the feisty woman refused to take no for an answer. "Yeah. Asami will be there to help her, don't worry!" Choza said as his wife agreed to the idea as well."It's better if you just go with it. Or else I wouldn't get to hear the end of it," Shikaku half-jokingly said to Inochi just days ago.

Inoichi drove his car, occasionally looking at his rear view mirror, to check on the infant buckled to the baby car seat. She was too busy nibbling her pacifier, she probably unaware of their location right now. The Nara's land is mainly composed of green forestunlike Yamanaka's land. Their land looks more like withering crops even though it used to look like flowers utopia.

The former glory of Yamanaka's has deteriorated due to lack of care. However who could blame him? He was too restless and preoccupied with taking care of his daughter that he's completely forgotten to spend even a little bit of his attention on insignificant things. Some people thought that he probably left the flowers unattended intentionally because it reminded him of his wife. Probably a sign as part of him had died along with those flowers. He guessed it all may be true but it doesn't matter anymore now, does it? He wouldn't trade the wonders of the world for her. His daughter, which his precious wife exchanged her life for is what matters the most now.

Arriving at the Nara's household, Inoichi give Ino a kiss on the forehead before putting her in the arms of Yoshino. On an instant, the infant cried and wailed before the unknown person before her. Inoichi was about to take her back when Yoshino extended her hand stopping him.

"Don't worry," she said smiling kindly to him and cradling the infant, patting her bottom softly. Inoichi smiled back and took a step back. After many hesitations later, Inoichi off to work with Shikaku.

Ino was still wailing by the time her father left. "It's been 10 minutes already... Are you hungry?" Yoshino said to the infant on her arms and looked at the ticking clock on the wall. Asami wouldn't arrive in another half an hour with Choji. That is if the traffic is not acting up. Figured that she'll just prepare two bottles of warm milk, she put Ino down next to Shikamaru. The contrast between the two of them are too distinguishable. Ino with her blonde hair and blue eyes, Shikamaru with his dark hair and brown eyes.

However their differences are not only appearance wise. He's just laying on the crib but he wasn't sleeping. "He's just... looking at the ceiling, I guess," Yoshino muttered to herself. He was analyzing things around him unlike Ino. If anything, Yoshino hoped that perhaps Ino could 'influence' Shikamaru to be more of a regular crying baby like herself (not that a few months old infant could be influence by another infant if that make any sense).

But of course Shikamaru is far from a regular infant. These past few months have been frustrating for them, especially for Yoshino. Shikamaru won't cry except when he's hungry. He's too quiet for a baby it's making her worry at first, not that Yoshino an expert about babies. She is a new mother after all. Dr. Tsunade said that the baby is in perfect condition, that he is healthy. He's just... more of an observer. Yoshino thought that he's just too disinterested though.

As soon as she put Ino into the crib with Shikamaru, he shifted his gaze from the ceiling to the unfamiliar infant crying next to him. She was too busy wailing to notice Shikamaru, that is until he reached Ino's hand. Surprisingly, the wailing ceased just as soon as they made contact.

Ino sniffled as she finally looked at the stranger next her and calmed down on her own, which astonished Yoshino more. "Wow," Yoshino said after what seemed like an eternity. For once, she glad that Shikamaru is such a tranquil child. It rubbed off on Ino. Still...

"Gah! If it's anything, personality wise he's the one who should taken over MY personality! If this go on she will be the one taking over my personality! He's too calm!" Yoshino rambles frustratedly. After a few seconds of huffs and puffs, she too calmed down.

"What?" Yoshino said tiredly when she finally noticed that Shikamaru has been looking at her silently. He looks at her like he completely understood everything. She chuckled to herself when she realized what a fool she's been acting. She poked his chubby cheek and planted a smooch quickly, smiling as she took a step backward. "Take care of each other for awhile, okay? Two bottles of warm milk coming up," Yoshino said as she walked towards the kitchen to prepare the said milk.

The two babies left in the crib look at one another, still holding each other's hands. "A sign of the universe?" Yoshino joked to herself.

 **A few years later...**

Both infants along with the Akamichi's have grown to be 5-years-old toddlers. Ino has grown up to be a beautiful just like her late mother but feisty like Yoshino as the woman did raised her for years. Shikamaru, like his infant days, still being as disinterested as always. His hair grew a lot, considering he only cut it once when they were two. He was of course annoyed by it but when he cut it the first time (which probably the last), Ino cried so much that when Shikaku offered to cut his hair the second time, Shikamaru rejected it and simply said, "It's too troublesome to cut anyway because hair won't stop growing." Choji grew a lot larger in built than them. It was probably in the genes or thecontinuous offering of chips and crackers his parents gave to him. "Well, as long as he's healthy," Choza always said.

The three of them often spend their time together, it was only natural that they're going to be together in the kindergarten too. Their parents enrolled all of them at the same school because apparently Shikamaru's mom said that it would be easier if there's an emergency. True.

Actually he doesn't mind it at all if he could spend more time with Ino and Chouji. It's always fun spending time with them. The other kids would make fun of him whenever he was seen next to Ino, especially after the 'Who is your best friend?' STUPID session (don't tell his mom he said that) made by that teacher, Miss Kurenai.

 _ **Flashback...**_

 _ **"Shikamaru, can you tell me who is your best friend in the whole wide world?" Miss Kurenai asked for the whole class to hear.**_

 _ **"Ino and Choji," he said undoubtedly. He made a face like 'duh, obviously' it was a dumb question(again, don't tell his mom) to be asking him.**_

 _ **"How about you Ino?" Miss Kurenai went ahead and asked the girl next to him.**_

 _ **"Of course it's Shika and Choji!" Ino said with a smile as bright as a sunshine. It took them a long time to realized that both of them said each other's name first.**_

 _ **End of flashback...**_

The other kids teased Ino and Shikamaru all the time with the 'Kissing In The Tree' song but it doesn't matter to him. As long as she's happy, everybody's happy. By everybody, he meant his mom. If his mom's happy, his dad will be happy. If his dad's happy, he wouldn't go to work in a bad mood and that's good. He might still be a toddler but according to Dr. Tsunade, he's a genius(he doesn't get it but whatever).

He learned that 'theory' when he once fought with Ino when they were 3-years-old for toys.

 ** _Flashback..._**

 ** _He was minding his own business with his Bumblebee robot when Ino wanted to borrow it for a bit in exchange for her Barbie doll. He refused. One fight lead to another but it ends with a cry when Shikamaru hit Ino's head with the squeaky hammer toy._**

 ** _"It doesn't even hurt!" Shikamaru said defending himself._**

 ** _"You didn't hurt her head but you hurt her feelings!" Yoshino said to her son. "Be chivalrous towards girls!"_**

 ** _He spent the entire evening listening to his father talked about being a Superhero for girls._**

 ** _End of flashback..._**

"What does that mean anyway? How can a person cry when she doesn't hurt physically?" Shikamaru's thought to himself silently but focused on his surroundings when Miss Kurenai entered the classroom and exchanged greetings with the other children in the class.

"Children! Today we will be celebrating Mother's Day!" she said cheerfully.

Shikamaru knew that the new teacher meant well but he couldn't be more mad at her as soon as he saw the expression Ino made.

 **TBC**

 **Author: What do you guys think? I know there's too much of a flashback at the ending of this chapter but I can't help it! Lol. this chapter's song not really about love but hey, Ino's birthday is on September then it clicked! Aannd I know I said that I'm going with ShikaIno, well I AM but I'm getting there slowly. Slowly but surely, we'll get to that because love is a process (Professor coming through). As usual, R &R with love is very much appreciated! Thanks ;)**


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